Strength, Flexibility and Temperature Changes During Step Aerobics Training

摘要

Purpose: The purpose of this study was the analysis of temperature changes in the muscles quadriceps and biceps femoris areas of healthy subjects over a 15-week Step Aerobics Training (SAT) program. The aim of this paper is twofold. Firstly we verify if SAT training has an impact on the temperature changes in the muscles quadriceps and biceps femoris and thermoregulation of healthy subjects. Secondly, we verify if there is relationship between the index of strength and flexibility with thermal results. Methods: The study was conducted with 11 women subjects aged between 20- and 22-years-old. Training sessions of SAT took 15 weeks. Subjects performed two training session per week for 60 min per session. Assessments included the evaluation of body mass index, waist circumference, blood pressure, vital capacity of lungs, maximal oxygen uptake and flexibility and strength. Subjects' fitness was evaluated by testing the following tasks: standing long jumps and toe-touch test. For thermograms acquisition a thermographic camera CEDIP Titanium 560M IR (USA) was used. Results: After 15 weeks SAT the temperature changes were found to be larger on the front surfaces than on back surfaces of lower extremities. Positive correlation between strength and skin temperature and negative correlation between flexibility and temperature was found. Conclusions: 15-weeks-long SAT can promote improvements in the thermoregulation of apparently healthy women. This method may be used as a tool for establishing the efficiency of SAT in the training process.